The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) of 1996 is a federal law enacted by Congress which includes seven different rules/laws. One of the seven pieces of legislation is The Privacy Rule. The Privacy Rule became effective April 14, 2003.

 What is the Privacy Rule?

Congress was concerned with Protected Health Information (PHI). The Privacy Rule was enacted to prevent the release of your confidential health information.  PHI is defined as individually identifiable health information.  This means any information that can be used to distinguish and trace information to a particular individual. The owner of the PHI controls who gets to see it.  The Office of Civil Rights was designated by the Health and Human Services to enforce the Privacy Rule.

 Speaking with Family, Staff, and others about PHI

The Privacy Rule strictly prohibits the discussion of PHI with anyone who is not involved with the client's care except the client/owner of the PHI or their designated representative.

To get more information on HIPPA, click here to go to the Department of Health website.